Swine flu was declared a pandemic in July 2009. Five months later, a quarter of a million Norwegians bought the drug.Since the 2009 pandemic, Norwegian doctors have written fewer prescriptions for Tamiflu. Now the Public Health Service have asked doctors consider printing more prescriptions for the drug.
‘It might have gone into a bit of oblivion. We wish for the doctors to at least consider the use of Tamiflu, especially when there are patients who are at risk of developing serious illness’, said the Department Director, Siri Helene Hauge, of the Folkehelseinstituttet to NRK news.
This year’s flu season has been one of the worst for several years, with more than 3,000 people hospitalised. Tamiflu is known to slow the spread of virus in the body, but only 1,500 patients received the drug last year.
‘It can be a useful drug for many patients. It can save lives, keep people out of hospitals and make sure they do not need to lie on a respirator’, said Peter Brelin, head of the Norwegian College of General Practice.
He stressed that the drug has limited effect in healthy people, and that it primarily reasonable to prescribe it to patients who are in danger of becoming seriously ill with flu.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
